Americans United - Texashttps://au.org/tags/texas
enTexas Rep. Asks Muslims To Take Loyalty Oathhttps://au.org/church-state/march-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/texas-rep-asks-muslims-to-take-loyalty-oath
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>American Muslims visiting the office of Texas state Rep. Mol­ly White (R-Belton) were asked to confirm their loyalty to the United States by staffers, according to <em>The Texas Tribune</em>.</p><p>White, who was not present in her office for Texas Muslim Capitol Day, an annual citizen lobbying event, left an Israeli flag on her desk along with instructions for Muslim visitors to publicly renounce terrorism and announce their respect for American law.</p><p>House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) condemned White’s actions in a statement.</p><p>“The Texas Capitol belongs to all the people of this state, and legislators have a responsibility to treat all visitors just as we expect to be treated – with dignity and respect,” Straus said. “Anything else reflects poorly on the entire body and distracts from the very important work in front of us.”</p><p>The Council for American Islamic Relations sent a letter to Straus asking him to investigate White for ethics violations.</p><p>The <em>Tribune </em>reported that White has a history of making anti-Muslim statements. “Muslims cannot be trusted no matter how peaceful they appear,” she once wrote on her Facebook page. “If they come here and convert to the American way of life I may be more willing to trust. When they come here to advance their way of life, Islam, then no trust there.”</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10903" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/march-2015-church-state">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslims">Muslims</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 15:15:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10917 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/march-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/texas-rep-asks-muslims-to-take-loyalty-oath#commentsTexas Cannot Ban License Plate Merely Because Some Deem It ‘Offensive,’ Americans United Sayshttps://au.org/media/press-releases/texas-cannot-ban-license-plate-merely-because-some-deem-it-offensive-americans
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The state of Texas cannot broadly censor the messages on specialty license plates, Americans United for Separation of Church and State argued in a <a href="https://au.org/files/pdf_documents/15-2-18_SCOTUS_14-144.pdf" target="_blank">brief</a> filed before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.</p><p>Texas has a license plate program that allows private organizations to design specialty plates, subject to state approval. State officials refused to issue members of the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans a plate depicting the Confederate flag on the ground that “many members of the general public find [it] offensive.”<br /><br />The group sued, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the state, finding that it had overstepped its constitutional authority by censoring certain viewpoints. Texas then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that all specialty license plates – even those that are designed by private organizations – convey government messages and are immune from protection under the Free Speech Clause.<br /><br />But Americans United argues that the hundreds of different messages on specialty license plates reflect the views of private speakers and cannot be censored by the state. Speech that some people deem “offensive” is still protected speech, and a Supreme Court victory for Texas could have unintended consequences for unpopular minorities, including members of unpopular religious groups and atheists.</p><p>“If the state may censor speech that ‘many members of the general public find … offensive,’ the result could be especially harmful to religious minorities,” the brief argues. “Recent events have highlighted that both public officials and members of the public are sometimes offended by minority religious views that are not widely or properly understood.”<br /><br />Added the brief, “This type of prejudice against religious minorities has already found its way into rejections of vanity plates in other states.”<br /><br />“It isn’t necessary to agree with the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ message in order to understand why the state should have issued their plate,” said Gregory M. Lipper, Americans United’s senior litigation counsel. “If the state has the ability to censor views it thinks are ‘offensive,’ unpopular minorities, including religious minorities, will be unable to participate fully in public debate.”<br /><br />This has already happened in some states. In New Jersey, for example, Americans United is representing a woman whose vanity plate reading, “8THEIST” was rejected by officials at the Motor Vehicle Commission – even though even though the state allows plates bearing religious messages, such as “BAPTIST.”<br /><br />The brief in Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans was prepared by Lipper, Americans United Legal Director, Ayesha N. Khan and AU Legal Fellow Murat Kayali.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-free-exercise-issues-including-rfras-zoning-etc">Other Free Exercise Issues (including RFRAs, zoning, etc.)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/license-plates">license plates</a></span></div></div><h3 >Broad State Control Over Private Messages Could Negatively Affect Religious Minorities, Says Church-State&nbsp;Watchdog</h3>Wed, 18 Feb 2015 19:22:24 +0000Timothy Ritz10890 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/press-releases/texas-cannot-ban-license-plate-merely-because-some-deem-it-offensive-americans#commentsAU Chapter Leader Offers Secular Invocation Before El Paso Councilhttps://au.org/church-state/january-2015-church-state/people-events/au-chapter-leader-offers-secular-invocation
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>An Americans United chapter leader recently gave the first-ever secular invocation before a meeting of the El Paso, Texas, City Council.</p><p>David Marcus, president of AU’s El Paso Chapter, offered a message of inclusion before the board’s Dec. 2 meeting.</p><p>“We come together today in a spirit of cooperation and compromise,” he said, noting that the border city of more than 670,000 people is made up of residents with different beliefs and that each individual’s feelings are deeply important.</p><p>“We don’t all think the same way…. But we all agree and know that personal beliefs, regardless of how strongly we hold them, are ours alone,” Marcus said.</p><p>Marcus’s remarks, which made no mention of any deity, were delivered without interruption or protest. They were offered via live streaming by the council.</p><p>Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn praised the council for accommodating non-theistic viewpoints.</p><p>“Government must do its best to represent all Americans – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist and others,” Lynn said in a media statement. “El Paso officials are to be commended for acknowledging this spirit of inclusion by welcoming a secular invocation. Other communities would be wise to follow this example.”</p><p>Marcus’ invocation was part of Americans United’s Operation Inclusion, which was created last year in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in <em>Greece v. Galloway</em>. That damaging decision said local governments may open their meetings with sponsored sectarian prayers even if those invocations promote a specific faith. The goal of Operation Inclusion is, as the name suggests, to make sure no one is excluded from giving an official pre-meeting invocation regardless of their beliefs. </p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/prayer-at-government-events-and-legislative-meetings">Prayer at Government Events and Legislative Meetings</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Outside the Workplace: Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (including in the Military, Prisons, Housing, Healthcare, etc.)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-free-exercise-issues-including-rfras-zoning-etc">Other Free Exercise Issues (including RFRAs, zoning, etc.)</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10769" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/late-breaking-news-ky-rejects-ark-park-funding">Late-Breaking News: Ky. Rejects ‘Ark Park’ Funding </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ex-navy-chaplain-loses-legal-fight-over-dismissal">Ex-Navy Chaplain Loses Legal Fight Over Dismissal </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/md-school-district-secularizes-calendar">Md. School District Secularizes Calendar</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/mo-war-memorial-removes-christian-symbol">Mo. War Memorial Removes Christian Symbol </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/secular-group-loses-colo-day-of-prayer-lawsuit">Secular Group Loses Colo. Day Of Prayer Lawsuit </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/preaching-student-is-curbed-by-officials-in-wash">Preaching Student Is Curbed By Officials In Wash. </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/alaska-town-rejects-end-of-church-sales-tax">Alaska Town Rejects End of Church Sales Tax Exemption</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ind-catholic-diocese-resists-court-jurisdiction">Ind. Catholic Diocese Resists Court Jurisdiction</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/around-the-world-brazil-debates-creationism-bill">Around The World: Brazil Debates Creationism Bill</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/perspective/sympathy-for-the-devil-aus-role-in-fla-display">Sympathy For The Devil? AU&#039;s Role In Fla. Display Flap Sparks Hellish Reaction</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/editorial/an-honest-recounting-the-failed-experiment-of">An Honest Recounting: The Failed Experiment Of Private School Vouchers</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/editorial/denial-of-service-same-sex-marriage-and-religious">Denial Of Service: Same-Sex Marriage And Religious Refusals</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/town-of-greece-v-galloway">Town of Greece v. Galloway</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/el-paso">El Paso</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/operation-inclusion">Operation Inclusion</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-chapter field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Chapters:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/chapters/join-us-for-justice-the-el-paso-chapter-of-americans-united">Join Us For Justice, the El Paso Chapter of Americans United</a></div></div></div>Wed, 31 Dec 2014 20:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10781 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/january-2015-church-state/people-events/au-chapter-leader-offers-secular-invocation#commentsBoot These Bigoted Bans: Movement Seeks To Remove Anti-Atheist Bias From State Constitutionshttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/boot-these-bigoted-bans-movement-seeks-to-remove-anti-atheist-bias-from
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A movement is under way to scrub anti-atheist bias from eight state constitutions. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Eight states still have provisions in their constitutions that either bar atheists outright from holding public office or require people to believe certain things about God and religion before they can be elected.</p><p>These provisions can’t be enforced. They were declared invalid by the U.S. Supreme Court in a <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/june-2011-church-state/featured/more-than-a-minor-hero">1961 ruling in the case of <em>Torcaso v. Watkins</em></a>. Yet they linger on, a testament to the bigotry of bygone days.</p><p>Non-believers argue that if these provisions barred Jews, Catholics or members of just about any other faith from holding office, they would have been removed long ago. It is only because bias against atheists/humanists/freethinkers persists in American society that they survive.</p><p>Now a movement is under way to scrub these bans from state constitutions. <em>The New York Times</em> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/us/in-seven-states-atheists-push-to-end-largely-forgotten-ban-.html?_r=1">reports</a> that the group <a href="http://www.openlysecular.org/#/">Openly Secular</a> is mounting a campaign to make people aware of the bans and have them removed.</p><p>Openly Secular’s chairman, Todd Stiefel, told <em>The Times</em>, “If it was on the books that Jews couldn’t hold public office, or that African-Americans or women couldn’t vote, that would be a no-brainer. You’d have politicians falling all over themselves to try to get it repealed. Even if it was still unenforceable, it would still be disgraceful and be removed. So why are we different?”</p><p>Americans United is an allied organization of Openly Secular. We agree with and endorse those aspects of the organization’s work that further the separation of church and state. (Openly Secular undertakes some activities designed to promote non-belief, which we’re not involved in.) We’d love to see these provisions removed from the state constitutions.</p><p>It won’t be easy. The process for amending state constitutions varies from state to state. In Maryland, the state where the plaintiff in the <em>Torcaso</em> case resided, state Sen. Jamie Raskin has expressed interest in revamping the state constitution to remove the ban on atheists as well as other antiquated provisions. Raskin told Laurie Goodstein of <em>The Times</em> that it would be necessary to call a constitutional convention to do that. That could not happen until 2020 at the earliest.</p><p>A second obstacle is lingering bigotry. Even though these provisions are clearly examples of bias and are outdated, some politicians might still fight for them. The Republican minority whip of the Maryland Senate, Christopher B. Shank, told <em>The Times</em> that he believes the people working to remove the ban on atheists want “an affirmation that the people of the state of Maryland don’t care about the Christian faith, and that is a little offensive.”</p><p>I happen to live in Maryland, and I believe Shank is wrong. Ours is a progressive and tolerant state. But consider this: The other states that have these bans are mostly firmly anchored in the Bible Belt: Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. What politician in his or her right mind will go to bat for atheists in Mississippi?</p><p>(The final state on the list is Pennsylvania. The language there is most curious. It states that no one shall be disqualified from holding public office – as long as they believe in God and “a future state of rewards and punishments,” that is, heaven and hell. Obviously language like that has the effect of keeping atheists out.)</p><p>This project is one for the long haul, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth pursuing. The anti-atheist provisions are vestiges of a bigoted past. It is time for them to go.</p><p>P.S. Tennessee’s Constitution also bars “ministers of the Gospel” from holding public office – a provision that was struck down by the Supreme Court in the 1978 case <em><a href="http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&amp;vol=435&amp;invol=618">McDaniel v. Paty</a></em>. In the interest of fair play, that language should be removed as well. However, I must insist that a provision in the Tennessee Constitution barring public office to anyone who has <a href="http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=407">fought a duel</a> be retained.</p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Outside the Workplace: Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (including in the Military, Prisons, Housing, Healthcare, etc.)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-issues-regarding-churches-and-politics">Other Issues regarding Churches and Politics</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/maryland">Maryland</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/north-carolina">north carolina</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/sotuth-carolina">sotuth carolina</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mississippi">Mississippi</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/arkansas">Arkansas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tennessee">Tennessee</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jamie-raskin">Jamie Raskin</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/laurie-goodstein">Laurie Goodstein</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/atheism">atheism</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/openly-secular">Openly Secular</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/todd-stiefel">Todd Stiefel</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/dueling">dueling</a></span></div></div>Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:49:13 +0000Rob Boston10735 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/boot-these-bigoted-bans-movement-seeks-to-remove-anti-atheist-bias-from#commentsTroubling Tomes: Texas State Board Of Education Votes To Approve Biased Textbookshttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/troubling-tomes-texas-state-board-of-education-votes-to-approve-biased
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>On Friday, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) voted 10-5 to approve 89 new social studies textbooks for use in public classrooms. The vote, which split cleanly on party lines, ends public hearings on the subject. But controversy over the books’ content is likely to linger: Critics allege the books contain multiple errors and exaggerations designed to portray the United States as a fundamentally Christian nation.</p><p> As <a href="https://au.org/church-state/november-2014-church-state/featured/erasing-separation">reported previously</a> in <em>Church &amp; State</em>, the textbooks as proposed overplayed the influence of Mosaic law on the Founding Fathers, cast doubt on the constitutionality of separation of church and state and skewed discussions of existing legal precedent on prayer in schools. Although publishers did make many corrections to the books – such was watering down inflammatory and inaccurate information about Islam – “Christian nation” myths unfortunately remain in the material.<br /><br />And that’s thanks to the SBOE, which in 2010 passed a series of curriculum standards that mandated instruction that emphasized the country’s Christian heritage. Those standards, and the flawed review process itself, finally proved too much for one publisher. According to the Texas <em>Tribune</em>, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt <a href="http://www.texastribune.org/2014/11/21/publisher-pulls-government-text-from-texasapproval/">pulled its government textbook</a> from consideration after being asked to “add greater coverage of Judeo-Christian influence – including Moses – on America's founding fathers.”<br /><br />The SBOE also rejected curriculum from WorldView Software, and there’s evidence the decision was politically motivated. Prior to the final vote, WorldView issued a strongly worded statement in response <a href="http://tfninsider.org/2014/11/18/live-blogging-the-texas-social-studies-textbook-hearing/">to public testimony</a> from Barbara Lamontagne, who informed the SBOE last week that the material called the late General Douglas MacArthur “racist” and lionized communist figures at the expense of President Ronald Reagan.<br /><br />WorldView <a href="file:///C:/Users/jones/Downloads/WorldView%20response%20to%20Public%20Hearing%20(11-18-14)%20(2).pdf">slammed the comments</a> as “very serious and patently false allegations” and noted that Lamontagne admitted in her testimony that she had not read the material before preparing her remarks. Despite this, <a href="http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/education/article/SBOE-approves-first-social-studies-textbooks-in-5909774.php">the SBOE ruled</a> that WorldView had not done enough to address her criticisms, and rejected the company’s curriculum.<br /><br />Even without the Houghton Mifflin Harcout and WorldView materials, the SBOE had hundreds of pages of edits to review in less than a week. As a few members noted, the vote’s timing made it impossible for the SBOE to read all edits under consideration. But a motion to delay the final vote failed, rejected by the fundamentalist Christian officials who dominate the board.</p><p>Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network (TFN), slammed the review process <a href="http://www.tfn.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&amp;id=8211">in a press statement</a>. “And once again the state's process for approving textbooks was revealed to be a sham, as state board members voted for last-minute changes that they had never even read,” she said. “Those changes were approved without any input whatsoever from historians and experts.”<br /><br />TFN had appointed its own review panel to identify errors and suggest corrections in the books. Scholars expressed serious concern over the books’ slant, only for those concerns to be largely dismissed by the SBOE.<br /><br />Americans United also opposed the books. We launched a petition in partnership with TFN and People For the American Way; our organizations combined collected over 30,000 signatures to demand that publishers produce accurate textbooks for Texas students.</p><p>Activist Zack Kopplin testified on our behalf before the SBOE earlier this month to reiterate our concerns that the books presented a flawed, fundamentalist version of American history with little to no basis in evidence.</p><p>The SBOE didn’t respond kindly to Kopplin’s testimony, with one member asking him if he’d been paid to testify (the answer, of course, is no).</p><p>With the board’s vote, the textbooks are set to enter public classrooms in 2015, where they will be used for the next decade. Local school districts do have the option to reject the books and use alternative curriculum, a move recommended on Friday by moderate members of the SBOE. Based on the evidence, it’s a move we recommend as well.<br /><br />It’s clear that the SBOE has carefully constructed curriculum standards and a shoddy review process designed to erode the separation of church and state. Unfortunately, their latest victory means that thousands of students will receive biased and inaccurate information about the development of our democracy. And that, of course, has been the SBOE’s goal all along: Indoctrinating “culture warriors” has officially taken precedence over preparing students for higher education and work.<br /> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/bibles-and-religious-texts-curricula">Bibles and Religious Texts in Curricula</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/state-board-of-education">State Board of Education</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/social-studies">social studies</a></span></div></div>Mon, 24 Nov 2014 17:15:36 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones10689 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/troubling-tomes-texas-state-board-of-education-votes-to-approve-biased#commentsLoose Liberties: Texas Bill Would Guarantee Right To Discriminate https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/loose-liberties-texas-bill-would-guarantee-right-to-discriminate
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Texas State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) may have beaten them all to the punch: She has proposed a bill that would grant business owners the right to discriminate against LGBT customers.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Less than two weeks after the midterm elections, victorious social conservatives have already begun to fight for a dangerously expanded definition of religious liberty. Texas State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) may have beaten them all to the punch: She has proposed a bill that would grant business owners the right to discriminate against LGBT customers.</p><p>Senate Joint Resolution 10, filed Monday, has been written expressly to allow anti-gay discrimination.</p><p>“No human authority ought, in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of religion, and no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious society or mode of worship,” <a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/pdf/SJ00010I.pdf#navpanes=0">it reads</a>, and adds, “Government may not burden an individual’s or religious organization’s freedom of religion or right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief unless the government proves that the burden is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest.”</p><p><br /> If passed, the bill would even prohibit the government from creating “indirect burdens” by “withholding benefits, assessing penalties, and denying access to facilities or programs” to individuals or groups that engage in discriminatory practices.<br /><br />The <em>Advocate </em><a href="http://www.advocate.com/texas/2014/11/11/texas-senator-proposes-another-license-discriminate-bill">reports</a> that Texas already has a state version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Campbell’s bill would expand that law, which critics (including some in the Religious Right) have already condemned for its broad language. It’s evident that despite that generous RFRA, Campbell isn’t confident that it guarantees the right to discriminate, and seeks to ensure that Texas fundamentalists have free reign to turn away anyone they please.<br /><br />It’s also likely that she intended to create a loophole around non-discrimination ordinances in several major Texas cities. According to Towleroad, Campbell <a href="http://www.towleroad.com/2014/11/texas-lawmaker-wants-to-enshrine-license-to-discriminate-against-gays-in-state-constitution.html">has publicly objected</a> to such ordinances in the past, claiming that they are evidence “Judeo-Christian values are under attack.”</p><p>Her dubious legislative complement to Texas’ RFRA is only the latest tactic to emerge out of a coordinated national campaign to redefine religious liberty and restrict LGBT rights. </p><p>During the last legislative session, several states attempted to pass “religious freedom” bills. With the exception of Mississippi, which eventually passed a highly modified and less problematic version of the law, all failed, thanks in large part to the public backlash that greeted each bill. That was most evident in Arizona: Its Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/26/politics/arizona-brewer-bill/">vetoed a “religious freedom” bill</a> after it was condemned by Arizona’s Senator John McCain and panned by local business owners as a bad advertisement for the state.</p><p>Campbell’s bill is the first attempt this legislative session to create a right to discriminate. It will not be the last. The Religious Right, fronted by groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom, has carefully promoted the message that public accommodation laws are the latest and most pressing threat to religious liberty. They’ve trotted out people like <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/sweet-cakes-by-melissa-bankrupt-_n_5916226.html">Aaron and Melissa Klein</a>, who closed their Oregon bakery after violating anti-discrimination laws, as evidence that there’s a nefarious agenda at work to persecute Bible-believing Christians.<br /><br />That nefarious agenda, of course, isn’t actually malicious at all; the rights of others pose no real threat to your religious liberty. If you open a business, you’re required to serve the public. Your freedom to express your religious beliefs does not include the privilege to violate the rights of your neighbors. Your discriminatory beliefs do not merit priority status simply because they are backed with religious justifications.<br /><br />Given the outcome of Texas’ recent elections, Campbell’s bill has a better than average chance of becoming law. If it does, it’ll inevitably drag the state into an extended legal battle. As they head into this year’s session, state legislators in Texas and elsewhere should critically consider if their extremist agenda is worth the potential cost.</p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">In the Workplace: Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donna-campbell">Donna Campbell</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-refusals">religious refusals</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/right-to-discriminate">right to discriminate</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-freedom">religious freedom</a></span></div></div>Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:50:10 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones10675 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/loose-liberties-texas-bill-would-guarantee-right-to-discriminate#commentsCrisis of Faith: Religious Facilities Rely On Misleading Tactics, Dupe Womenhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/crisis-of-faith-religious-facilities-rely-on-misleading-tactics-dupe-women
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Hosted by Fazeelat Aslam, Misconception tackles the misleading advertising tactics used by many, if not most, CPCs to disguise their true intentions: To dissuade women from accessing legal abortion, and to proselytize anyone who comes through the door.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A new VICE <a href="https://news.vice.com/video/misconception">documentary</a> reveals that publicly funded, religiously motivated crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) represent a growing national problem. Hosted by Fazeelat Aslam, <em>Misconception </em>tackles the misleading advertising tactics used by many, if not most, CPCs to disguise their true intentions: To dissuade women from accessing legal abortion, and to proselytize anyone who comes through the door.</p><p>The documentary begins by noting that CPCs themselves are multiplying, principally due to a crop of new state laws placing crippling regulations on abortion clinics. These laws, which, according to professional bodies like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, <a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/gpr/16/3/gpr160320.pdf">aren’t based on scientific evidence</a>, shutter clinics by forcing them to adhere to minute restrictions on hallway width, parking lot size, and as Aslam explains, even the height of the clinic’s grass. </p><p>That paves the way for CPCs. And that’s where the church/state trouble begins.</p><p>Aslam starts her investigation by touring a Frederick, Md., CPC owned by CareNet. Superficially, little appears troubling about the facility, which resembles a medical office and keeps a stock of donated children’s clothes and toys available for expectant mothers. It doesn’t advertise itself as a Christian ministry, and CareNet’s CEO doesn’t describe it as one to Aslam as he’s showing her its sonogram room. But according to CareNet itself, that’s exactly what it is.</p><p>From its <a href="https://www.care-net.org/aboutus/mission.php">website</a>: “CareNet is a Christ-centered ministry whose mission is to promote a culture of life within our society in order to serve people facing unplanned pregnancies and related sexual issues.”</p><p>And arguably, the CareNet CPC Aslam toured wouldn’t look quite as cozy without the assistance of the state of Maryland, which created a funding channel for CPCs via the sale of “Choose Life” license plates. According to the <a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_CLLP.pdf">Guttmacher Institute</a>, Maryland’s law dictates that funds raised from the sale of the plates must go to CPCs, and cannot be used for facilities that provide abortion referrals.<br /><br />But this isn’t just a Maryland problem. It’s national, as Aslam finds out when she travels to Texas. There, she meets a woman named Donna who described being duped by staff at the White Rose Women’s Center, a CPC in Dallas.<br /><br />Donna tells Aslam she called the White Rose to ask about abortion pricing, only to be told they don’t provide that information over the phone, and that she should visit the facility to see if she qualified for a free sonogram. She did, and thanks to a staff member named Penny, she received a helping of good, old-fashioned Christian evangelism along with her sonogram.<br /><br />“Penny was very insistent on God in my life,” she said, quoting, “’You really need God in your life.’”<br /><br />The sonogram went on for twenty minutes. Donna says that when she tried to leave, Penny reacted physically. “She pushed the sonogram machine back into my stomach and held it down,” she said. “I had to physically remove her hand and I said, ‘We are done here.’”</p><p>Donna returns to the White Rose with Aslam (and a hidden camera) in tow. There, another staff member apologizes for misleading her — sort of. “But we have to fight for each other,” she tells Donna. “That’s what God wanted us to do.”<br /><br />Texas CPCs like the White Rose Women’s Clinic directly receive federal funding through the “Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program.” As I <a href="https://au.org/church-state/october-2013-church-state/featured/pregnancy-scare">reported in <em>Church &amp; State</em></a> last year, the program received $26.3 million from the state in 2012 alone. That amount will likely only grow as abortion clinics across the state close due to draconian regulations passed in July of last year. RH Reality Check <a href="http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2014/09/12/attorneys-face-tough-questions-court-hearing-texas-omnibus-anti-abortion-law/">reports</a> that if a legal battle to repeal the regulations fails, 33 of the state’s 41 clinics will close. That would leave more women reliant on CPCs.<br /><br />No matter what you think about abortion or the women who choose it, it’s obvious that CPCs that proselytize shouldn’t receive funding from states—directly or indirectly. It’s time for these facilities to advertise themselves for what they really are: Religious ministries.</p><p>Until that happens, women will be duped into evangelism sessions, often at taxpayer expense. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/reproductive-health-conscience-clauses-for-religious-objectors">Reproductive Health &amp; Conscience Clauses for Religious Objectors</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/crisis-pregnancy-centers">Crisis Pregnancy Centers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/abortion">Abortion</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/reproductive-choice">reproductive choice</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/maryland">Maryland</a></span></div></div>Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:35:00 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones10499 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/crisis-of-faith-religious-facilities-rely-on-misleading-tactics-dupe-women#commentsCensorship Challenge: Texas Pastor Seeks Restrictions On ‘Dangerous’ Library Bookshttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/censorship-challenge-texas-pastor-seeks-restrictions-on-dangerous-library
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">I think it’s pretty obvious what the Religious Right is up to here: They want to &#039;protect&#039; children from critical thinking, self-reflection and the type of curiosity about our world that an immersion into literature can give us.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Back in the 1990s, some Religious Right activists in Virginia got the bright idea to begin attacking America’s public libraries. The idea was to demonize public libraries in the same way that public schools have been successfully demonized by fundamentalists in some parts of the country.</p><p>The effort, dubbed “Family Friendly Libraries,” fell flat. Americans simply weren’t interested in allowing a bunch of far-right Christian fundamentalists to determine what books they or their children could read.</p><p>That doesn’t mean the effort is dead. Public libraries remain in the Religious Right’s crosshairs, as a recent story from Cleveland, Texas, proves.</p><p>KTRK-TV in Houston reports that Pastor Phillip Missick of King of Saints Tabernacle, is <a href="http://abc13.com/religion/pastor-wants-demonic-books-removed/275930/">complaining about several books</a> in the Austin Memorial Library. Not surprisingly, the tomes Missick has targeted deal with supernatural themes.</p><p>Apparently, the vampire craze that populates much young-adult fiction is still going strong. This bothers Missick. He is especially disturbed by the <em>Twilight</em> series and similar books titled <em>Blood Promise</em> and <em>Vampire Knight</em>.</p><p>Missick is coming to this a little late. The <em>Twilight</em> books are nine years old. (Ironically, the woman who authored them is a Mormon, and many people believe the underlying message of the series is conservative.) But he has decided to jump right in. </p><p>“This is dark,” Missick said. “There’s a sexual element. You have creatures that aren’t human. I think it’s dangerous for our kids.”</p><p>Sorry, pastor, but I think ignorance is more dangerous for our kids. I’ll admit I haven’t read any of these books – but I don’t have to in order to defend them on the general grounds that religious zealots shouldn’t have the right to determine what other people read.</p><p>I don’t doubt that some of these books aren’t appropriate for younger readers. That’s why I’m all for parents exercising sensible control over <em>their own </em>children. In fact, I think that’s the perfect solution: Go to the library with your kids. Steer them toward the books you believe are appropriate and away from those you don’t think are right for them.</p><p>Also, keep the lines of communication open. Introduce your children to the books you enjoyed when you were a kid. Keep doing that as they get older. Talk with them about what they’re reading.</p><p>What I’m not for – what I am adamantly against, in fact – is someone else, especially a narrow-minded fundamentalist, making that decision for me or my children. And I’ll never accept someone’s interpretation of dogma becoming the yardstick for an entire community’s literary access.</p><p>This is an old story. Back in the day, religious zealots attacked L. Frank Baum’s <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em>. They’ve blasted classics such as John Steinbeck’s <em>Of Mice and Men</em>, J.D. Salingers’s <em>The Catcher in the Rye</em> and (ironically) Ray Bradbury’s <em>Fahrenheit 451</em>.</p><p>More recently, they’ve assailed the Harry Potter series, Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” books, Lois Lowry’s <em>The Giver</em> several Judy Blume tomes and countless others. </p><p>Every time, it’s the same tired argument: Young people need to be “protected” from themes such as “the occult,” human sexuality, modern science and so on. I think it’s pretty obvious what the Religious Right is up to here: They want to “protect” children from critical thinking, self-reflection and the type of curiosity about our world that an immersion into literature can give us.</p><p>People who read are often people who ask questions. They are people who think. They are people who ask for evidence instead of just accepting claims on faith. They are people who are less likely to swallow the rigid dogma and simplistic politics peddled by extremists.</p><p>I think you can see why that’s such a big threat to the Religious Right.</p><p>P.S. The American Library Association’s “Banned Books Week” takes place Sept. 21-27. A fun way to mark this occasion (and annoy the Religious Right) is to read a banned book. If you want to get a head start, you might find <a href="http://www.ala.org/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009">this list</a> handy.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/censorship">censorship</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/phillio-missick">Phillio Missick</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/king-of-saints-tabernacle">King of Saints Tabernacle</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/twilight">Twilight</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/harry-potter">Harry Potter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/wonderful-wizard-of-oz">Wonderful Wizard of Oz</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/catcher-in-the-rye">Catcher in the Rye</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/of-mice-and-men">Of Mice and Men</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/american-library-association">American Library Association</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/banned-books-week">Banned Books Week</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/vampire-knight">Vampire Knight</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/blood-promise">Blood Promise</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/philip-pullman">Philip Pullman</a></span></div></div>Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:37:01 +0000Rob Boston10421 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/censorship-challenge-texas-pastor-seeks-restrictions-on-dangerous-library#commentsHome School Upheaval: Texas Court Rules Against Religious Freedom Right To Unregulated Home Education https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/home-school-upheaval-texas-court-rules-against-religious-freedom-right-to
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The family ostensibly set aside space in a motorcycle dealership it co-owned with Michael McIntyre’s twin brother, Tracy, as a “classroom.” Tracy soon noticed that the classroom didn’t actually get used for its stated purpose. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Texas families do not have a religious freedom right to home-school absolutely free of any regulation, a state court of appeals <a href="http://www.search.txcourts.gov/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=02d5cdfa-c5ff-4224-a54d-98743e5b85e5&amp;MediaID=85c662d1-bdaf-4842-816e-5424a864daab&amp;coa=%22%20+%20this.CurrentWebState.CurrentCourt%20+%20@%22&amp;DT=Opinion">ruled last week</a>. The decision is a setback for Michael and Laura McIntyre, who removed their nine children from a private school in order to educate them at home.</p><p>Relatives quickly discovered that very little education ever took place. The family ostensibly set aside space in a motorcycle dealership it co-owned with Michael McIntyre’s twin brother, Tracy, as a “classroom.” Tracy soon noticed that the classroom didn’t actually get used for its stated purpose.</p><p>From the ruling: “While the children would sing or play instruments, he never saw them reading books or doing arithmetic, nor did he observe any computers or other school equipment.”</p><p>Tracy McIntyre later overheard one of the McIntyre children say that “they did not need to do schoolwork because they were going to be raptured.”</p><p>The family’s oldest child was so desperate for a real education that she ran away from home in an attempt to enroll herself in high school. Without any academic records, the school didn’t know which grade to place her in; after testing, the 17-year-old was placed in the freshman class, far behind the rest of her age group.</p><p>Naturally, the school district intervened – and that’s when the McIntyres called upon the resources of the Religious Right. When confronted with a request for details about their curriculum, the family decided it was being unfairly harassed and requested help from the <a href="http://www.hslda.org/about/mission.asp">Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA),</a> a <a href="http://www.hslda.org/about/statementoffaith.asp">Christian</a> legal advocacy organization founded and run by Religious Right figurehead <a href="http://www.hslda.org/about/staff/attorneys/Farris.asp">Michael Farris</a>. (Farris is also the founder and chancellor of Patrick Henry College, an unaccredited Evangelical college in Purcellville, Va.).</p><p>HSLDA didn’t seem particularly concerned by the McIntyres’ rapture obsession, or by the lack of educational progress demonstrated by their children. As last week’s ruling notes, the group sent a letter to the school district claiming “that the McIntyres were ‘in full compliance’ but that they declined to ‘submit any additional information.’”</p><p>Farris, and HSLDA, take the position that parents have an absolute right to homeschool. That’s precisely the argument the court rejected. The ruling points out that the Supreme Court does indeed permit inquiries into home schools.<br /><br />Chief Justice Ann Crawford McClure of the Court of Appeals, Eighth District of Texas in El Paso, wasn’t much persuaded by the family’s religious freedom arguments, either. The family’s attorneys cited <em>Wisconsin v. Yoder</em>, a 1971 <a href="http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_110">Supreme Court ruling</a> that determined the Old Order Amish have a constitutional right to educate children only until the eighth grade. According to the McIntyres, that right extends to them as well.<br /><br />Not so, McClure wrote. “The McIntyres have produced no evidence that they are similarly situated to the Old Order Amish in <em>Yoder</em>. They have failed to raise a fact issue that a sincerely held religious belief was substantially burdened.”</p><p>She concluded, “They do not have an ‘absolute constitutional right to home school.’”</p><p>And she’s correct.</p><p>Before I proceed, I’ll disclose a personal interest in the case. I too was home-schooled for most of my education, albeit in Virginia under slightly different laws. My parents submitted me for academic testing, and although they certainly taught me that the Rapture was inevitable, they also expected me to sit at my desk, finish my work and show basic signs of academic progress.</p><p>That’s more than the McIntyres did. It’s disturbing that the Religious Right, this time in the form of Farris and HSLDA, rode so quickly to their defense.</p><p>And their religious freedom arguments are specious. The government has a compelling interest in making sure that children are educated. That’s a well-established legal fact.</p><p>There’s also a well-established legal right to home school. But that right, like all rights, is subject to certain restrictions. Parents do have the right to home school, but they don’t have the right to provide their children with a substandard education or, like the McIntyres, deny their children an education altogether. The law is clear: You can believe Jesus is coming back at midnight if you want. You can even tell your children that it’s a fact.</p><p>But you still have to teach them how to read.</p><p>A verdict in favor of the McIntyres would have redefined religious freedom in a manner that undermined a child’s right to an education. The Texas appeals court made the right decision. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-free-exercise-issues-including-rfras-zoning-etc">Other Free Exercise Issues (including RFRAs, zoning, etc.)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/homeschooling">homeschooling</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/homeschool-legal-defense-association">Homeschool Legal Defense Association</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michael-farris">Michael Farris</a></span></div></div>Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:30:18 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones10377 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/home-school-upheaval-texas-court-rules-against-religious-freedom-right-to#commentsTexas Textbook Troubles: Lone Star State Grapples With Tome Review Process – Againhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/texas-textbook-troubles-lone-star-state-grapples-with-tome-review-process
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Worse yet, TFN learned that more than a dozen academics at Texas universities applied to be on the panels but were rejected. Among them are the chair of the History Department at Southern Methodist University and several faculty members at the University of Texas.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The news out of Texas is depressingly familiar.</p><p>The Lone Star State is in the process of reviewing public school social studies textbooks. Texas, as you might have noticed, is a large state. It has no shortage of first-class public and private universities. These institutions are full of scholars who have expertise in areas like history, civics, economics and so on.</p><p>Thus, it would seem that there would be absolutely no difficulty in finding qualified individuals in Texas to review these books. And there’s not. Many of these professors are eager to help and have volunteered their time.</p><p>Yet, a <a href="http://www.tfn.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&amp;id=8059">recent analysis</a> by the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) shows that out of more than 140 individuals appointed to the review panels, just three are current faculty members at Texas institutions of higher education.</p><p>Worse yet, TFN learned that more than a dozen academics at Texas universities applied to be on the panels but were rejected. Among them are the chair of the History Department at Southern Methodist University and several faculty members at the University of Texas.</p><p>So if these men and women aren’t getting slots on the panels, who is? TFN points out that “political activists and individuals without social studies degrees or teaching experience got places on the panels.”</p><p>One man who won a coveted slot is Mark Keough. Keough is not a professor. He’s currently seeking a seat in the Texas House of Representatives as a Republican. Keough, TFN notes, is a pastor who has degrees in theology – but he’s not a teacher and has no experience in social studies.</p><p>In fact, he seems woefully uniformed about some aspects of American history. TFN reports that Keough told the Montgomery County Tea Party that he does not “believe that there is a separation of church and state in the Constitution.”</p><p>“It is amazing that missing from these panels are many faculty members from our best universities who were willing to serve,” TFN President Kathy Miller said in a press statement. “Yet someone like Mr. Keough, who denies the existence of one of our country’s most important principles, is granted a platform he could use to play politics with the education of millions of Texas schoolchildren.”</p><p>Texas’ State Board of Education will vote on adopting the new books in November. For years, the Board has been caught up in “culture war” battles. Last year, creationists on the Board <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/biblical-biology-texas-state-board-of-education-continues-descent-into">pushed for books</a> “to strike the final blow to the teaching of evolution.”</p><p>The attempt to undermine the teaching of evolution in Texas public schools was aided and abetted by textbook reviewers who simply weren’t qualified to weigh in on real science.</p><p>After that embarrassing debacle, Board members approved a <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/textbook-case-texas-education-board-seeks-to-de-politicize-book-review">procedural change</a> designed to get more actual public school teachers front and center on the review panels. That was an important alteration, but it may not have gone far enough. There are more teachers on the panels this year, but these bodies continued to be littered with partisan activists whose top priority is sectarian indoctrination, not sound education.</p><p>Getting these people off the panels is the change Texas truly needs. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/bibles-and-religious-texts-curricula">Bibles and Religious Texts in Curricula</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/texas">Texas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/social-studies">social studies</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/textbooks">textbooks</a></span></div></div>Fri, 25 Jul 2014 13:52:33 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones10282 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/texas-textbook-troubles-lone-star-state-grapples-with-tome-review-process#comments